Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Eternity is the total and perfect possession of
an interminable life. As time is the measure of change, so eternity is the
measure of permanency. Though this permanency be- longs primarily to God, it
applies also to the immortality of angels and men. Eternity may be considered:
(1) in itself, (2) as a peculiarity of the happiness of heaven, (3) and as a quality
of the pains of hell.

Eternity is called '' the possession of
interminable life "to emphasize its inalienable immutability and
permanence of activity. It is called "total possession" because it
combines variety and intensity of activity in the permanence of its action. It
is finally called "perfect possession” because this varied and intense
activity is secure and complete. In this life man may concentrate all his
energy on the exercise of one faculty, and that only for a time. In the next
life, however, he will permanently exercise every faculty in the highest degree
for endless ages.

In heaven “eternal rest” emphasizes the security
of happiness in this permanence of life. There the human mind will see God face
to face, recognizing Him as the one necessary Being, the infinite Truth, the
only real Good, and the perfect Beauty. In God man will contemplate the wonder
and harmony of His works, and the love, mercy and justice of His dealings with
His creatures. At the same time the human heart will overflow in an ecstasy of
delight in the possession of the infinite Good and Beauty, while every other
faculty will en- joy the pleasure and security of this interminable life. The
pleasures of the elect will be further enhanced by the friendship of all the
children of God in the mansions prepared for them from the beginning of the
world.

In hell, however, "eternal misery'' is stamped
on the interminable life of the reprobate. There the mind will brood over the vast
misfortune of losing God and heaven forever. The heart will there drain the cup
of this misfortune and acknowledge this loss to be the final consequence of its
own fault. Like Dives, the reprobate see the happiness of the blessed, and are
consumed with remorse and despair because it will ever be beyond their reach.
Here the soul that refused to serve God on earth becomes the slave of the
devil; here the soul that abused the liberty of a child of God pines in the
dungeon of hell; here the soul that was the willing slave of the flesh is
permeated by "the fire that dieth not” (Mark ix. 42).

As the blessed enjoy
the variety and intensity of the happiness of heaven according to their merit,
so the reprobate will endure the variety and intensity of the pains of hell according
to the measure of their sin. Both are immutable and permanent in the total and
perfect possession of their interminable life.

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ABOUT THIS BLOG

This blog is originally entitled PRAYERBOOK FOR RELIGIOUS (An online version of Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance's PRAYERBOOK FOR RELIGIOUS: A Complete Manual of Prayers and Devotions for the Use of the Members of All Religious Communities, originally published by Benziger Brothers, 1914.)

I have decided to widen the scope of this blog. So, in addition to the prayers from the Prayerbook for Religious, I will now post articles about the spiritual life and other things Catholic.

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SACRED AND EUCHARISTIC HEART OF JESUS

OUR BLESSED MOTHER

My PATRON: Saint Francis of Assisi

"It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching."

MY PATRONESS: Saint Therese of Lisieux

"To Call God my Father and to Know myself His Child, that is Heaven to me ..."

FRANCISCUS PP.

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

V: Let us pray for our Pope Francis. R: May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. V: May Thy hand be ever upon the man of Thy right hand. R: And upon the son of man whom Thou hast confirmed unto thee. Let us Pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.